XN000022-1977-06-24 — Page 23

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rocsons, and particularly the political ones, Hong Kong would dearly

liko to bring the visible trade into closer balance by buyin;; even

nore from this country,

Avare

"And hore, while undorsing everything that you say about the need for Britain to be not only are of the oportunities, but

fully competitive in seizing them, lest we become too depressed by

the trade gap to which you have referred, I should perhas mention

that the figures are not quite as black as they look, because Hong

Kong buys British goods, ships and zircraft engines that for various

reasons do not appear in the U.K. Hong Kong trade figures.

"There is no room for complacency, however, and like you,

Sir, I sometimes wonder if Britain is always fully aware, of the

opportunitios thus presented. I also wonder if we all in Britein

are aware of the responsibilities that are inherent in this special

relationship for Hong Kong, alone of our colonies and ex-colonies,

hasn't the option of independence as an alternative to its resunt

status: and this does lay a very special responsibility on us in

this country, Mo should, I suggest ponder on this,

-

"On behalf of the Hong Kong ss relation I should like to

welcomes all our guests here this evening and to say how lunsod we

are that you have cotu. s usual, the Trucks had a word for it,

'Xenos', which means, I believe, both hosts and cucets.

This has

rany advantages; for one thing, if we had been in ancient Greece

it would only have been necessary for Dr. Fang to make speech on

behalf of 101 Monoi' end you would have been spared ny sppearance

But I do fool that there is a real truth behind this concept of

raking no difference between host and guest and in reposing the

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+

torst of the guests tonight, I would like to suggest that, not only

the people of Hong Kong, for whom we all have such admiration, but

arinistrators, businessmen and servicemen, too, have in this sense,

/ell